A-A… Some Stuff I'm Working On

OOHHH NO, Was it the Band Saw?

Great to see you back into it man, missed your stuff.

Not so great to see you choppin up ya fingers... :(

See - you need to carve more regularly! Wrap that finger up and keep carvin man!

Awwwwww, It's just a finger--you've got 9 more! Jabbed my palm w/ a chisel a few months ago-called wife at the hospital where she works and the thoracic surgeon she works for hooked us up with a suture kit and some 'dermabond'--I opted for the dermabond. It's like superglue for cuts... get some if you can, it's a handy thing to have in the toolbox. Lots less cumbersome than stitches--almost like being instantly healed.

That Hau is looking good, I can see more grain and figuration now--I'm excited to see your progress.

Ah well, it's just a flesh wound.

On 2006-07-24 13:12, tikimecula wrote:
OOHHH NO, Was it the Band Saw?

(A little background) Andy sold me a bandsaw a while back. Coincidentally, I just called him on Saturday to figure out some blade adjustments. Well, turns out a couple of blade guides were broken, so I had to switch over to the pull saw and do it the old fashioned way. I had the piece in the bench vise... and...

Okay, dammit! I'll admit I gashed my finger with a lousy hand saw! Those japanese saws do have serrated edges on both sides, though... ya know.

Aaron, you are supposed to be carving the Wood, Not the Finger!. Thanks for the pix of the fair stuff. There was Really some Nice stuff there. I think the judges were paid off though, because your stuff should have gotten first Over ALl the other junk, as good as it was.
Wrap up the finger and get to work now!

He slices he dices he makes julienne fingers! Hey I'm sorry for the cut. Just healed from one myself. Although much smaller, it was from a v in my hook knife set and so I have a very cute scar. After helping me get bandaged up good Mrs. 8FT immediately ordered me a carving glove. You know we love the Marqs so Keep the pictures coming!

Bump,
I'm sure the finger has healed by now. Where's the carvings?

JP

On 2006-10-20 09:41, JohnnyP wrote:
Bump,
I'm sure the finger has healed by now. Where's the carvings?

JP

ditto :) was just thinking the other night I miss ya stuff

Me too!

Hey, guys - thanks for the bump! The long and short of it is no, not much carving here in the last while. I try not to post trivial progress shots, but to appease my pals, this slightly advanced rough-out is ALL I've got for now.

Sad, but true!

Nina & I have been working to make a big life-changing move, and that has been taking up most of our spare time lately. Quite a few TC members have helped us out on the research end (much appreciated!), including several here on the Creating Forum. I'll try to share the whole story with everyone once the wheels actually start turning. It's just that there are lots of details to be worked out and I don't want to jinx it! :)

Suffice it to say that I hope to have a nice big basement workshop and lots more time for carving in the not-too-distant future. I'll definitely stay active here on TC, but don't expect to see much tiki output from me in the next few months.

Cheers,

Aaron

Good luck with it all mate :)

Hi Aaron,

Just sitting here on vacation in Colorado digesting your thread...real impressive!

I truly dig your drawing techniques, and your attention to detail. I also really admire that you did most of this work in the park...that shows much love for the craft. Good luck on the new studio space.

I've learned a great deal from you...Thanks.

On to Benzart's work now...

Babalu

Hello A's A.,

It's been a while that we haven't see your fabulous works now... :wink:

Ben.

Thanks Babalu & Benella. No, not much happening carving wise for me lately, but I'm hoping to bust out some tiki this weekend at the Chop-Chop. See you there, Babalu.

So what is this we read about you doing some chainsaw work (play). Are you going to post?
JP

You got it, JP. My carving time's been sqeezed down to about zilch lately. But this is what I've been working on (or trying to!):

I had been on the carving wagon for awhile till Mieko's excellent chop-chop party. In a flurry of spending I ordered a bunch of stuff from Bailey's that arrived like two days before the party.

Here's my favorite purchase, Ken Pleasant's (Kiegs20) Makita 5012b that I snatched up on ebay. Carving geek that I am, I insisted that he sign it for me. I'm kinda sentimental that way... sniff

I bought a dime tip carving bar, 1/4 pitch chain & sprocket from Baileys to go with it.

Also the Lancelot/Squire combo chain disc that I'm pretty happy with (takes the wood off real fast!)

And here's another goodie that didn't cost a cent 'cause I made it myself on the bench grinder. The infamous "BK Duckbill Chisel"!

So, back to the carving. I drew up this "Moai-Ku" design about 2 years ago & never did anything with it till now. The Moai-Ku is an often overlooked style of tiki that originates from the little known island of Rapa-Maui.

I was able to get one more carving session in and this is how it looks at the moment.

I used to have two of these almond log stands that the tiki is sitting on. Can you guess where the other one went???

More carving to follow as I can. Still some more rough out to go then lotsa chiselin'!

Cheers,

A-A

YES!! AA is BACK!! So good to see you at it again. I, like you have been finding it impossible to find time to carve.
Let me guess, you carved the stump into a mini replica of the chain saw? Am I right? What do I win?
Seriously, do you find the chain saw, the tool of tools, for saving time on the bigger carvings? How do ya like it?

Yeeeeehhhhhhhhhh! He's back! About time mate! :)

nie tiki by the way, nice mix of styles

WHat's up aaron? Great carving so far - I'm glad that you're doing this carving, I like the design.

THanks for the info about the chainsaw (I was actually going to contact you soon as I'm in the market for a chainsaw and have some rather large carvings I need to do)

is this carving all chainsaw? IF so - you have very good control and I bet you could probably do an entire carving with just a chainsaw. Great score on that keigs-saw too. ONe of a kind!

[ Edited by: Polynesiac 2007-01-11 19:10 ]

Even with a saw, he still carves like a CNC machine. That looks good, Great spending spree!

JP

On 2007-01-11 13:14, Aaron's Akua wrote:
I used to have two of these almond log stands that the tiki is sitting on. Can you guess where the other one went???

Is this a rhetorical question?

On 2006-05-13 21:23, Aaron's Akua wrote:

Those old log stands of mine are getting weathered and cracked already. Your comment made me chuckle though, because I was in the back yard this afternoon playing ball with my son, and I kept looking them thinking maybe there was a big Moai in one of them... I always use the workmate instead, so maybe!

A-A

Maybe indeed! Funny how an idea sticks in your head and you just can't shake it until you give it a try. Got an idea for the other one yet? Matching set? bookends?

Buzzy Out!

Very happy that you're back with some super carving.

Benjamin.

AA,

It's nice to see someone else admitting to having a saw problem/addiction - and enjoying it. My name is Greg and I'm a sawcoholic.......

Nice rough out. Man that's one fat head!

-G

Nice duckbill! Go deep!

still wantin to see my favorite

'Bout time we caught you workin on a Log. Lookin good Aaron. That Almond looks like it will be an Awesome piece of wood too. How do you like the dime tip?

Surfin' - Thanks for commiseratin'! At least I'm not the only one around here with carving time issues. It's hard to sit back & watch all the great stuff being produced around here, but that's just the way it goes I guess. The stump? You guessed wrong! But I'll send you a runner up prize anyway! Just PM me your address (no kiddin').

Hewey - thanks mate! Mix of styles? Have you not heard of Rapa-Maui?

Polynesiac - Offer stands, bro (see PM). I carved most of this one so far with the chainsaw. But also trimmed things up a bit with the Lancelot, duckbill, and some 24 grit discs. Sometimes I like to smooth it up a bit just to survey how things are going before I move on with the rough out. It really has far to go, the nose is huge, will have to be trimmed down, and the whole mouth area has lots to go before any serious chiseling.

Thanks JP. My style of carving is a bit different, but I guess doing computer drafting every day has warped my brain a bit! Round logs really mess with my head, so I squared this one up right off the bat - started from a 20" dia. log, believe it or not.

Damn, Buzzy - you win the prize. There was no prize, but you win it anyway for digging up that old post from last year that I forgot writing. I wonder what else is floating around in my head that will get done next year?!? PM me your address too.

Benella - thanks for the comps. You new guys inspire me at least as much as the old hands around here.

GMAN - I too am a victim of sawcoholism, and I've been drinking heavily to get my mind off of it.

BK - I'd been wanting to produce a BK Duckbill™ for some time. This was the best I could do, but I'm pretty sure I flunked metal shop in high school. My brother-in-law is a machinist, though, and I'm gonna get him to make me few different size chisels the right way.

teaKEY - That guy is still sitting in my garage. Thanks, man - it's an interesting design but the sapwood turned into cracker wood & was getting impossible to carve, so it got put side. I'm keeping it around for the next beach burn, but plan to try this design again with a big palm log that I got from doubravski (Davez) a while back. I spent a good while designing it, so I guess I have to see it carved someday.

Ben - I love the dime tip. Being cautious, it took me a while to figure out just what you can & can't do with this, still learning. Got a great chainsaw carving DVD (hint.. Surfintiki & Buzzy.. nudge nudge, wink wink), and really looking forward to learning this carving style.

Cheers!

A-A

Aaron I like the depth and design on the Moai-Ku lookin good!! Have you finished him yet? Glad your getting some use out of the chainsaw and you got the right sprocket/chain combo unlike myself I just keep stretching chains until they are too long. Good to see you carving again.

Hey Aaron! Nice stuff! That carvin' chainsaw's sweet!

Watch out for that lancelot. it can really lance-a-lot if you aint careful!

Finished yet? errr, hem, haw... Has it been a month already?

Soccer & T-ball have been ruling my weekends lately. I've been kicking around the idea of breaking out the workmate on the sidelines, but that might not sit well with my wife & the other parents.

Looks like I might get to carve a bit this weekend if it rains. Fingers crossed... :D

AA, nice to see some big stuff. I'm just waiting for people to start trimming their deciduous varieties around here.

I have saw envy...sigh

Mahalo

McTiki

Bumb, So what have you been up too?

Hey McTiki & Johnny,

I've been pretty busy with a new career move and some work on the house. Here's my old yard:

Notice the 2nd story window in the middle of the "before" picture below...

...which is now a sliding door.

These stairs will be enclosed for a little carving shop with log and tool storage inside. My air compressor will also go in there.

Once my new job gets settled down a bit, and the workshop gets finished, I should be up & running on the TC carving scene again. :) Thanks for the bump!

Cheers,

Aaron

Looks like you Have been busy just not Carving and That seems like it will come. Good luck on the new shop, it looks like the birth place of Many tiki to come, Can't wait to see it get going. Wish I could come up and help you with it awhile! .
HappyHappyHappy

Fabulous work you've made, congratulations.
Happy for the new shop !
I'm waiting for your come back with your amazing stuff on the TC scene !

Benjamin.

Aaron, Good to hear from you!! Hope all is well--looks that way --your home projects are coming along nicely but I (and many more of us, I'm sure) can't wait till you can get back to bustin' out some fine chops for us. Your work has always been top notch and inspirational.

Maybe you and the fam can take a break next fall(ish) and head east for the new version of 'Coon Tiki' in my neck of the woods. Make a mini-vacation out of it!

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=27019&forum=4&1

Geez, Benz. Why didn't ya mention that about 6 months ago? We'd have this thing built already. Of course I hired a contractor so it's taking forever and now I'm broke... :lol:

Benella, I've been waiting too! I just noticed the old title of this thread - "A-A… Some Stuff I’m Working On (Moai-Ku 1/11)" Embarassingly enough, that was 1/11/07!! But I think I'm almost there. Not carving much the last year, but I've continued to pick up some good tools. And my new job has 1/2 day Fridays. So I've got one professional exam to get through and by then my shop will be built.

So, Carving Shop + 1/2 day Fridays + some new tools = More AA Tikis. That's what I've been working towards, anyways. :)

Brad, that Folly Beach thing sounds like a great party! But, see paragraph 1... BROKE! Maybe next time. Have fun, I know you guys will outdo yourselves with this Coon-Tiki. We will definitely hook up some time in the future - Nina & I have some family in NC now.

Mahalo, guys.

Bump!!! Where YOU at AAron? sweet carvings here,Aloha, Mooney

Did I hear carving party in the near future?? Aarron I am glad to know that you are alive and kickin!!! I am loving the new addition to your pad!! Let's hang out one of these days.

alive and breathing!!

Yup, still breathin'! Okay, a progress report...

Deck's all done.

The little carving shop under the stairs is coming together...

But lots more to do. Painting, landscaping, finish the carving shop, build workbenches, etc., etc.

Thanks for the interest, guys! And yeah Spermy, a carving party is in the works for sure!! (might be down the road just a bit longer, though) :)

Cheers!

Aloha Aaron!
I'm glad your still kickin and looking fwd to you Kickin out more sweet carvings,Aloha, Mooney

Thanks, Mooney! I plan to do just that.

And since this is "Post your workspace Month", well, here is my old workspace.

Things could only get better from there, right?!! New workspace "in progress". Stay Posted!!!

I'm lovin the minimalistic approach :)
Regards
Flynny

For JP & Mooney,

Been doing some "sweat equity" projects, lately. Which includes preparing for the day when I get my ass in gear and start chislin' again!

Ya right, you say??!!

Landscaping done... Check!

Workbench done... Check! Speakers installed for Martin Denny, Martini Kings & Ape ambience... Check! Cord reel & hose reel... Check!

And inside the white door... Tormek... BIG Check!! (Okay, it's still in the box :roll: ). Unfinished Moai from Chop Chop No. 1 at Mieko's... Er, yeah.. check. :blush:

Air compressor under the stairs to blow off stuff and generally irritate the neighbors with that "tire shop" noise... Check!

Lots of unfinished projects. And of course these 400 lb. cherry logs waiting for the chainsaw, Check!

Bump me again in two months & hopefully I'll be out of excuses!!! :lol:

Cheers,

A-A

Nice you have it made now, that back yard deck area is looking
fantastic.

WOW :o WOW :o WOW

Aaron, your workshop is amazing. You've done wonderful work.

Benjamin.